Tibetan Mastiff dogs belong to an ancient stock, they may have been in existence as early as the stone or bronze age.
Also known as Do-Khyi, the Tibetan Mastiff is believed to be the originator of the majority of Molossus and Mastiffs throughout the world.

The breed began to disappear in Tibet during the 19th century, but in the mid 1800’s, a lot of Tibetan Mastiff was imported to England.
The British breeders have perfected and propagated the breed which has virtually died in the Orient, even now they are still rare.

Those that remain in Tibet are difficult to train, savage and unpredictable, but those that were raised in England are much more trainable and attached to their masters.

Breed Group

Working

Size

24 – 28 inches tall (at shoulder)

Weight

140 – 180 lbs

Color(s)

The Tibetan Mastiff is usually black, brown and bluish gray, also sable, gold, cream, or red with or without tan markings.

Coat

The Tibetan Mastiff is double coated, the undercoat is soft and very thick making him resistant to cold weather, while the outer coat is fairly long and coarse to the touch.

Life Expectancy

About 12 – 15 years.

Personality

The Tibetan Mastiff is a powerful dog very protective and territorial, independent and highly intelligent, he was bred to take initiative.
Mutual respect between him and his master is essential, he require to be treated as companions rather than house pets.

Very loyal to its family he is calm and well-tempered, usually patient and gentle with children he is aloof towards strangers and should be supervised when introduced to other animals.

Care

Usually a healthy breed, he is prone to hip dysplasia, skin, thyroid and ear problems, also an unusual genetic problem called CIDN (Canine Inherited Demyelinative Neuropathy).
The Tibetan Mastiff sheds only once per year during spring or summer, daily brushing should be performed during this time, weekly brushing otherwise should be sufficient.
The Tibetan Mastiff is good for allergy sufferers because he has very little dog odor.

Training

The Tibetan Mastiff is not for everyone, this breed does not have a long history of close

relationship with people, so a dominant and respectful handler is a must for this strong willed breed.
However, with the right training, this highly-valued dog can do well in obedience, agility, and as an outstanding guard.

Activity

The Tibetan Mastiff is not suited to live in apartments and he is relatively inactive indoors.
He likes to climb and dig, so he should have at least a large securely fenced yard.
Regular walks in the woods will make him happy, however he’s not a ball player or anything like that.

The Standard Schnauzer is the oldest of the three Schnauzer breeds.
It originally came from Germany.

The word Schnauze itself comes from the German word muzzle.
These brave dogs were used as messengers in World War I, as vermin hunters, as well guard dogs.
It is now more commonly trained a herder and retriever.

Breed Group

Working

Size

Male: 18½ to 19½ inches
Female: 17½ inches to 18½ inches

Weight

Male: 30-45 lbs
Female: 30-40 lbs

Color(s)

The Standard Schnauzer is pure black or salt and pepper.

Coat

The coat is tight, hard, strong and wiry.
The outer coat is trimmed to accentuate the body outline.
The undercoat is soft and dense.

Life Expectancy

13 to 15 years.

Personality

The Standard Schnauzer is fearless and protective, which makes it a great guard dog;
it defends its territory and its family using its deep barking.
It is very lively, intelligent and playful which results in a very affectionate pet for the family.

Care

The outer coat is easy to take care of, but the undercoat is very dense and needs to be brushed weekly.
The Standard Schnauzer should be professionally trimmed at least four times a year.

The eyes and the ears should be trimmed with a blunt-nosed scissor.
After meals, the whiskers should be washed.
This Schnauzer doesn’t smell and barely sheds during season because of the nature of it’s coat.

Training

The Standard Schnauzer is very intelligent and learns easily.
However it can be very stubborn and needs a firm training.
As puppies, socialization is an important aspect of the pet’s development.

Activity

The Standard Schnauzer is a very energetic dog that will take as much exercise as it can get.
Activities can range from a swim to intense play as long as they get at least an hour a day.

The Siberian huskies were first brought into Alaska in 1909.
For centuries, they were used by the Chukchi people of the region to pull sleds and for a long time, they were also used to watch and keep reindeers together.

Siberian huskies are adapted to work in the rough conditions of Siberia; they are strong, tough, able to adapt to all conditions, and also love to work for hours.
The Siberian husky is known for its high endurance and its light-weight.

Fur traders brought them to North America for races because of their great speed.
One incident that helped popularize the breed was in 1925 when there was an epidemic of diphtheria in Nome, a city of Alaska where a lot of huskies brought medicine to the city.
They were also used in the Admiral Byrd’s Antarctic Expeditions.
The Siberian husky is now used as a companion dog but it’s not their only utility.

Breed Group

Working

Size

21 to 23½ inches (at shoulder)

Weight

Male: 45-62 lbs
Female: 31-51 lbs

Color(s)

The color of a Siberian husky is determined by two colors: black and brown/copper.
All Siberian husky colors are made of these two basics tones.
They can come in black, agouti, gray, red, sable and in white or a mix of these colors.

Coat

The Siberian husky has a double coat, medium in length, which gives him a furry appearance.
It has a soft and dense undercoat and it is long enough to support the outer coat.
The outer coat’s hairs are straight and smooth.
During the shedding season, the absence of the undercoat is normal.

Life Expectancy

12 – 15 years.

Personality

The Siberian husky is a friendly, calm, attentive and sociable dog.
Though, it can be very independent and hard to manage, they are extremely intelligent.
Siberian Huskies rarely bark, rather, they communicate by howling when they are happy, sad or even Siberian Huskywhen they are anxious.

Because of their friendly behavior, Siberian Huskies make poor guard dogs. They also tend to be smooth and nice with small children.
Siberian huskies can be expected to be alert, they love to please their masters and they are very adaptable.

Care

The husky is really easy to take care of.
It sheds one or two times a year. During those periods, it’s highly recommended to brush it daily.
The Siberian husky’s coat sheds dirt so it barely has an odor which makes bating unnecessary.

The coat of the Samoyed needs a lot of grooming (once a day preferably). They are heavy shedders seasonally. The coat tends to stay white without bathing.

Training

The owner of a Siberian husky must be an experienced and strict trainer.
Siberian Huskies are very intelligent and respond well to training but they can also be very stubborn, so training them can be a challenge.
Training should begin when the dog is at a young age.

The owner should try to establish rules early on to ensure that the puppy learns them.
Don’t let the dog think that the rules are flexible else he will think that it’s permissible to do it all the time. Make the training much easier establishing your self as the head master, the alpha.
The dog must never think that he is the boss.

Activity

Siberian Huskies are energetic dogs and they need a good amount of exercise (at least 30 to 60 minutes per day).
However, when the temperature is warm they should not be excessively exercised.
Huskies require a big yard with a high fence because they might want to escape and go hunting.

Since ancient times, this breed lived with a Siberian population named the Samoyeds.
For centuries they used a beautiful white dog to help them in their daily activities: hunting and fishing.

The Samoyede people were peaceful and extremely loving with their dogs, treating them as family members, as a result, the Samoyed dog became very lovely and trustful with humans.
As nomads, the Samoyede people used their dogs to pull sleds.

Samoyed dogs were brought out of Siberia (to England) in 1889 by the explorer Robert Scott.
This is when the breed started to be known and spread throughout the world.

Breed Group

Working

Size

Male: 21 to 23½ inches.
Female: 19 to 21 inches.

Weight

Male: 45-65 lbs
Female: 35-50 lbs

Color(s)

The Samoyed can be white, white and biscuit, all biscuit or cream.

Coat

The Samoyed’s undercoat is soft, thick and short. The outer coat is formed by longer, harsh hairs.
The weather resistant coat is straight and should form a ruff on the neck and the shoulders.

Life Expectancy

12 – 15 years.

Personality

The Samoyed is very intelligent, curious and alert. This dog, loyal, friendly and adaptable is eager to please.
This is a gentle, not distrustful dog with no over aggressiveness.

The Samoyed always seeks for love and loyalty from his owner, which they will return to him.
Energetic, playful even at old age, it is nice with everybody, even intruders and needs a lot of human’s attention, otherwise it can become miserable.

Because of its peaceable behavior, it can’t be used as a watchdog. It’s a very good family pet that gets along very well with children.
Because of its tendency to hunt, it can’t be trusted with other non-canine small pets. In the 5 sleigh dogs breeds, it’s the breed that tends to bark the most.
This dog has the bad reputation of a chewer, so it can become destructive if left alone for many hours.

Care

Samoyed is prone to hip dysplasia and some are diabetic. This dog might have skin allergies or PRA (Progressive Retinal Atrophy).

The coat of the Samoyed needs a lot of grooming (once a day preferably). They are heavy shedders seasonally. The coat tends to stay white without bathing.

Training

The Samoyed is a very intelligent dog, but its stubbornness can make it difficult to train, however, with a patient and firm training, the Samoyed can eventually respond very well to orders.

Activity

The Samoyed needs a fair amount of daily exercise, but it’s not appropriate to work it out excessively during warm weather.

This is a very ancient breed of the mastiff type that came across the Alps with the Roman conquerors.

The St. Bernard was bred around the year 1,000 by St Bernard Monks that founded a refuge for travelers crossing the dangerous alpine passes between Switzerland and Italy.

It was observed that the dogs at the St. Bernard monastery had an unusual ability to sense about impending danger from storms and avalanches.
The outstanding sense of smell of the St Bernard enables him to scent a person buried in as much as 3 meters of snow.

Breed Group

Working

Size

24 – 28 inches tall (at shoulder)

Weight

110 – 200 lbs.

Color(s)

The coat of the Saint Bernard is typically white with tan, red in various shades with white or brindle patches in various combinations on a white ground.

Coat

The Saint Bernard breed comes in both a rough or longhaired and smooth or shorthaired varieties.
The rough coat variety is straight or slightly wavy and tends to collect icicles.
While the smooth coat is harsh to the touch and is more often used for mountain work because he not collect icicles. Both varieties of coat are very dense and are weather resistant.

Life Expectancy

About 8 – 12 years.

Personality

The Saint Bernard dog breeds are extremely patient and friendly by nature.
They are very gentle and tolerant with children and other animals and make a great family pet.
They are obedient, highly intelligent, and thoughtful. The Saint Bernard is a very large and strong dog, but displays an easygoing and mature demeanor.

Care

The Saint Bernard is a healthy breed but some are prone to such health issues as Wobbler’s syndrome, called CVI (cervical vertebral instability that affects large breed, fast-growing dogs), heart problems, skin disorders, hip dysplasia and bloating (twisted stomachs should be watched for, it is best to feed them two or three small meals a day instead of one large meal.).

They are also subject to rage syndrome and they have no tolerance for hot weather or warm rooms. It is best to keep the puppy activity to a fair minimum until their bones are well formed and strong.
Both types of Saint Bernard coats are easy to groom, they require daily brushing with a firm bristle brush. Bathing should only be done when necessary using a mild soap (shampoo may strip the coat of its essential water-resistant oils).

Training

Highly intelligent and easy to train the Saint Bernard must be socialized at a young age with other people while the dog is still a manageable size, later they may display stubbornness.
Eager to please their owner the Saint Bernard does well with a gentle, patient, firm, and consistent training.

They thrive on high amounts of affection and attention.
Some of the Saint Bernard’s talents are search and rescue (he requires no training for this work), watchdogging, herding and carting.

Activity

Despite of his massive size the Saint Bernard is suitable for apartment dweller provided they are given regular outdoor exercise.
They are relatively inactive indoors and they will enjoy a securely fenced medium yard.
A long walk each day and outdoors play sessions are advised for the St. Bernard.

The Rottweiler is probably descended from the Italian Mastiff known for watching over the cattle the Roman legions needed for provisions.
In the middle ages, the Rottweiler breed was developed in the German town of Rottweil in Wurttemberg as a guard and herd dog.

Practically extinct in the 1800’s, he made a wonderful comeback in the early twentieth century due to the efforts of breeders in Stuttgart.
The Rottweiler is a medium to large dog with a massive and powerful body, naturally protective and devoted to their owner and family.

Breed Group

Working

Size

22 – 27 inches tall (at shoulder)

Weight

80 – 130 lbs.

Color(s)

The Rottweiler coat is black with clearly defined tan markings that range from rust to mahogany on the cheeks, muzzle, chest, legs, and over both eyes.

Coat

The Rottweiler outer coat is straight, coarse, dense, mid-length and flat while the undercoat is soft and thighs.

Life Expectancy

About 10 – 12 years.

Personality

A well train Rottweiler can do extremely well in a family environment, however he is very territorial and protective and can be intimidating at times.
He can be aggressive with other dogs, cats, household pets and with people he doesn’t know, so, early socialization and training is absolutely essential for this breed.

The Rottweiler has a working dog need to be stimulated and a job to do to be happy, whether it is fetching a ball, hauling a cart, guarding something or retrieving the newspaper.
The Rotties thrives with affection and attention from its family but he tends to be a one person dog.

Care

This Rottweiler is susceptible to ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament), bloat, progressive spinal cord disorder, entropionRottweiler from working dog group and hip dysplasia.
Also they are sensitive to Parvo virus.
The Rottweiler requires minimal grooming, brush with a firm bristle brush and bathes only when necessary (Bathing too often will remove the natural oils from the coat).
The Rottweiler is a medium shedder.

Training

Quick to learn and eager to please the Rottie is an outstanding guard dog with a self assured and fearless temperament.
The Rottweiler requires a firm and careful training and an experienced owner who can handle this powerful breed.
They have proven their worth in police/military work, competitive obedience, schutzhund and do well in a variety of things such as tracking, herding, watchdogging and carting.

Activity

The Rottweiler will do okay in an apartment life if it is sufficiently exercised.
They aren’t really active indoors, so they need up to three long walks daily, they also loves swimming and running freely in the woods (only if a free from public place can be identified).

The Portuguese Water Dog (PWD) originated in Portugal and was bred to chase fish into the fisherman’s netting and to collect the torn nets from the water! They used to be a very valuable asset to fishermen, but today there are more modern machines and devices that can do their job, so the breed itself is prized as a loving companion.

This breed has a solid, athletic body and strong muscular legs, giving them their quick strides in water. They have floppy triangular ears and large expressive eyes. The PWD has a long slender tail, a long muzzle, and a thick coat that protects them from extremely cold water!

The PWD is an energetic, affectionate and caring dog that will be a joy to own. They develop very strong bonds with their owners and will need to have a large amount of attention to be truly happy. Generally a cheerful and sweet breed, the PWD loves to play and will make a fantastic family dog because they adore children and will interact well with smaller animals in the household.

Breed Group

Working

Size

Males: 20-23 inches high

Females: 17-21 inches high

Weight

Males: 42-60 lbs
Females: 35-50 lbs

Color(s)

The PWD will come in a variety of colours, such as gray, white, black & white, brown, parti-coloured, solid black or brown with white spotting. The most commonly seen is the solid black but all are accepted for show standards.

Coat

This breed has 2 variations of coat texture which are the tightly coiled fur, or the loosely coiled, wave-like fur. They have only one layer of fur to protect them from the elements they work in but this is quite sufficient.

Life Expectancy

About 10-14 years.

Personality

The PWD is a breed of dog not suggested for the first time owner because they require a lot of time and exercise to thrive. Training will be needed at a young age to firmly input the house rules so the dog understands what they can and cannot do. They will also need a large amount of exercise whether that be swimming, running, or just trying different types of trials such as agility.

The PWD will be perfect for an owner that has an active lifestyle and ample time to spend with their companion throughout the day. It is recommended that there be a person home during the day or part of the day just to break up the time the dog spends alone.

Care

This breed will need a moderate amount of grooming to upkeep their coat. Brushing 3-4 times per week and bathing every 1-2 months will be perfect! The PWD is prone to GM 1 storage disease (a breed specific ailment) and hip dysplasia. Generally they are a healthy breed but the parents medical history should be checked before purchasing a puppy to ensure the potential owners are getting a healthy baby.

Training

The PWD will need to have an owner that is experienced in raising and training because they can be stubborn and have a “my way or the highway” attitude. Gentle yet firm methods will be needed as well as short sessions to ensure they grasp this information. Training that is made to be enjoyable will be much more pleasurable to these dogs which will encourage them to want to learn!

Activity

This breed will need at least 1 hour of exercise per day and this can be done at an off-leash park or on a walk. They will burn off much more energy running or swimming because this comes to them naturally. The PWD will do well in an apartment and access to a backyard would be excellent so they have an outdoor area at home to roam around in!

The Newfoundland comes from Newfoundland’s island. It’s the descendant of the indigenous dogs and the big black bear dogs, brought by Vikings after the year 1001. The size of a dog might be a result of big mastiff dogs, which have been brought by Portuguese fishermen.

In 1610, when the island’s colonization started, the breed already had its own physical characteristics and its natural behavior. That’s how it could resist to the rough conditions. It was used to pull fishnets and heavy equipment and also to rescue people from the water.

Breed Group

Working

Size

Male: 27-29 inches
Female: 25-27 inches

Weight

Male: 130-150 lbs
Female: 100-120 lbs

Color(s)

Black: This is the original color of the Newfoundland. They are usually entirely black but they can have a little bit of white or copper tint.

White and black: This variety is called a Landseer; black head with a black and white body.

Brown: This color shades from chocolate to bronze. It can have a little bit of white.

Coat

The Newfie has a waterproof double coat. The outer coat is of a medium length and straight while the undercoat is soft and dense. On the head, the muzzle and the ears, the hairs are short and thin. The four legs are fringed. The tail is entirely recovered from long and dense hairs.

Life Expectancy

About 8 – 10 years

Personality

The Newfoundland has a calm, generous and gentle behavior. It is extremely intelligent, courageous and even playful at times, it is regarded as having human emotions. Entirely devoted to its family, it makes a very good watchdog; however, it does not bark or growl to scare the intruder. It tends to place its self between its family member and the intruder. It is very good with other pets and shows a great patience with kids; it is considered to be a “born babysitter”.

Care

The Newf is prone to hip dysplasia; you must never let a Newfoundland get fat. It also has a tendency to heart problems. It is a hereditary disease called sub-aortic stenosis (SAS). The owner of a Newfoundland should have its puppy’s heart checked at 8-12 weeks of age.

This breed has to be preferably brushed daily, but a weekly brushing is also acceptable. They moult twice a year and an extra care is required at these moments. Avoid bathing.

Training

The obedience training should start at a young age. Due to its high sensitivity, it is unnecessary to train your Newfoundland with a harsh voice; it will not respond well. It should be trained in a calm manner.

Activity

The Newfoundland is a lazy dog, but it needs moderate exercise every day. It will always enjoy to take a walk or to go swimming. It can easily live in an apartment if sufficiently exercised. Even a small yard should be enough.

The Neapolitan Mastiff is a direct descendant of the Middle East war dogs: the Molossus. It was often used to fight against lions, bears or gladiators in Roman arenas.

The Neapolitan Mastiff fought with the Roman legions. This is how they got spread everywhere in Europe. This breed was rediscovered approximately in 1940, in Italy, and is now becoming more and more popular.

Breed Group

Working

Size

Male: 26 to 31 inches
Female: 24 to 29 inches

Weight

Male: Approximately 150 lbs
Female: Approximately 110 lbs

Color(s)

The dog’s color can be gray, blue, black, mahogany and tawny. It can also come in darker shades of these colors.

Coat

The coat is short, smooth and dense. It has straight hairs, no longer than 1 inch.

Life Expectancy

About 9 – 10 years.

Personality

The Neapolitan Mastiff is a steady dog. It is very intelligent and stubborn. It’s extremely protective and courageous as well as very suspicious of strangers but affectionate with the family and their friends. If not provoked, it is calm and silent. Females are better family pets because the males are more aggressive and dominant and females are better with children. Plus, males do not tolerate other males.

Care

The Neapolitan Mastiff is very easy to take care of. Removing dead hairs with a brush once in a while is all it needs. It is an average shedder.

Training

For the Neapolitan Mastiff, obedience training is a must. The training should start at a young age to avoid high dominance. The dog also needs to be socialized early to be sure that they don’t become too protective. The training approach should be strict and constant.

Activity

The Neapolitan Mastiff needs regular exercise. It has to be walked at least twice a day to stay healthy in what should be a big yard.

The Mastiff ancestors were probably brought to England by the Roman invaders. Renowned as a fierce war dog, the Mastiff has been used as a fighter by European knights and Spanish conquistadors as well as a valorous helper to hunt lion, wolf, bear and deer.

Nowadays, the Mastiff breed, also called the English Mastiff or Old English Mastiff is a gentle giant. Very massive, powerful and fearless the Mastiff gives the impression of nobility and integrity.

Breed Group

Working

Size

27 – 30 inches tall (at shoulder)

Weight

150 – 190 lbs. One of the heaviest breeds, male can exceed 200 lbs.

Color(s)

The color of the coat comes in fawn, brown, beige, apricot, or brindle.

Coat

The Mastiff has a double coat. The outer coat is short, coarse, and straight, while the close-lying under coat is dense.

Life Expectancy

About 8 – 12 years.

Personality

The Mastiff is a good natured, calm, and intelligent breed. They are extremely loyal and very possessive of home and family. This breed loves to please and needs plenty of human companionship and affection. The Mastiff is an Mastiff is a good natured, calm breedoutstanding family dog usually extremely patient with older considerate children and other pets they have been raised with.

Care

As the Mastiff is prone to GDV (Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus) feed two or three small meals a day, instead of a large one. They are also subject to CHD (Canine Hip Dysplasia), hypothyroidism, heart disease, bone cancer and cardiomyopathy. Prone to heatstroke he needs extra care in warm climates.

The smooth, short-haired coat of the Mastiff is easy to groom, occasional brushing with a firm bristle brush will suffice. Bathe or dry shampoo only when necessary. This breed is a medium shedder.

Training

The Mastiff requires a dominant handler and is not recommended for the inexperienced owner. They do not respond well to heavy-handed methods and does best with firmness, fairness, patience and consistency.

Due to his large size early socialization and obedience are essential for this breed. Protection and guard training is needless for this naturally protective breed. Some of the Mastiff’s talents include: guarding, military and police work, search and rescue and weight pulling.

Activity

The Mastiff is relatively inactive indoors and inclined to be quite lazy, they will do okay in an apartment dwelling if it is sufficiently stimulated and exercised. Daily walks up to an hour will be ok and they should always be leashed in public. He does, however, require regular play session in a safely fenced large yard to keep them happy.